AMC: A Little Bit on the Original Ending

[LeClerc]

This is from SOD but I think SOW may have more because it's an all-AMC cover.

Anyways:

-For those that watched the show, they liken the original AMC finale to the finale of the show "Six Feet Under" (never watched that show so I don't know how useful that is)

-It was a "beautiful" and "heartwarming" glimpse into the future of the characters, a few years down the road

-SOD does not say who they're talking about but I think it's obvious: Someone who returned during the summer pre-taped material to be included in this future stuff, and so it had to go unused. So Leo at ConFusion in a suit wasn't just a meaningless promo shot. Such a shame given that Rebecca Budig most likely isn't continuing on with the show.

Not from SOD, just my own ramblings: Jennifer Bassey said at the fan club weekend that she was originally invited to be in the finale, so I think part of what we would have seen was Marian, out of Oakhaven and happy with Stuart. I still bet we'll get an alive Stuart, but I would have loved to see Stuart and Marian together one more time.

[EricMontreal22]

The SFU finale which I and many others consider one of the best finales ever, ended with a long musical montage that shows brief silent glimpses into the future of all the characters--specifically the moment they died. It was extremely powerful and moving, at least for most fans.

I doubt AMC would have shown the deaths of all these characters (SFU of course was built around death as a theme--always opening with a random death, so it made sense for that show), but that does have me intrigued. Interesting though this doesn't seem to jie all that well with the comments from Agnes that things wouldn't be all tied up with a pretty bow--then again maybe it doesn't as these glimpses into the future didn't have to all be heartwarming or final.

[LeClerc]

A few people tried to get me into SFU but I never bothered. But your description of the finale alone is making me consider going out and buying the box set!

[DRW50]

Some complained about the makeup in the old age scenes but otherwise they were very moving - but it hits very hard. I was watching with someone and they suddenly began weeping because Ruth's last scenes reminded them of their mother.

[JaneAusten]

I dont know that she ever said anything would or wouldn't be wrapped up in a bow she just talked about leaving things at a point where viewers would get the sense that the lives of the people of Pine Valley were not ending but continuing forward. It could have meant pairing people off with some subtle possible glimpses forward like the picture of Leo you mentioned. I have to admit I think I would have liked this better than I fear where they are going.

I thought the ending of SFU was phenomenal. At times I found it could be a hard show to watch but definitely worth the investment of time and money of you are looking for the DVD set.

[DRW50]

They could still use Marian/Stuart footage and bring back Stuart even if they changed the ending. I hope that wouldn't be dumped.

[EricMontreal22]

Some people really never took to it (meaning it seems to sharply divide people), but even in its weaker years it was one of my favorite shows (and Alan Ball said several times he considered it a soap opera and hated that some critics seemed insulted when i ws called that--mentiuoning his influences growing up with soaps and then later watching Knots).

Yes, I'm not sure how it would work for a long running daytime soap--even though I doubt AMC was going to fill theirs, if it was indeed similar, with death scenes--as opposed to a show that finally was coming to a closed ending with no chance of ever returning in any way.

[Jonathan]

If they don't use the Leo scene, they are STUPID! I'm annoyed!

[alexisfan07]

Me too! How obnoxious

[Skin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWdYMuo3_B4

This was the Six Feet Under finale using the now much used but completely evocative Breathe Me by Sia. It's a pretty great ending and it wrapped up the entire series perfectly. I did watch the show but I tend to think it was overrated. It was great for it's character introspection and respective character arcs but as an entire series I never thought it worked cohesively enough to yield a strong narrative for all of the characters. The ensemble cast just didn't gel enough in my opinion to really feel like a family and the interactions suffered as a result. All of the characters worked better in their own separate spheres more so then they worked with one another.

It's unfortunate that Prospect forced them to change it and may now not even pick up AMC because so many actors have jumped ship on it.

[DRW50]

I thought the show struck a great balance in the first two seasons - damaged but believable people you cared about, and a sense of family. After the second season the show wasn't the same. I don't blame Lisa, as I think an HBO exec did, I mostly blame a lot of nasty and meandering stories (especially for David, Claire, and Brenda - the show did a real number on the first two in particular). I thought they put it back together at the end. I also thought it was very brave to kill off the loathsome Nate.

[casandranow]

I never watched SFU, but a friend of mine directed me to the finale, or the final moments of the series finale, about a year ago when I was theorizing on how Smallville was going to end this past May. Having not watched a single moment of SFU, but seeing the last five minutes, I was actually moved to tears. It was phenomenal. If AMC would have gone that route, and done even half a good of job, it would have a finale to remember, PP or no PP.

The more and more I see, of the AMC cast either not signing on to PP, or moving to other shows, it concerns me that we're going to have a great big over the top cliffhanger, and absolutely no resolution, because PP will just let AMC die out and sit in their shelves for maybe syndication reruns in some distant future.

I suppose they actually could have done both, appease PP, and still give the ending they wanted. Have a flash forward to what life could have been like in Pine Valley in years to come, but end it with a lives in the balance cliffhanger as well. A choose your own adventure if you will. That way there's closure if the show doesn't continue, but suspense for if/when it does.

[Skin]

I always thought the individual characters and stories were interesting. Claire, Nate, David, Brenda, etc. they all had great interactions and stories when they delved into their own lives. I just never felt they worked as a familial unit. I think each of the characters had great individual arcs though. If the show had found a way for them to interact with one another realistically speaking I think it could have worked better but I felt none of the shows leads had familial chemistry and it all just felt so detached and sterile when they did see each other.

I agree they could have done what Scrubs did in season 8. Have the characters day dream what their life would be like in a few years and then leave it open ended to the audience on whether or not it actually happened or if it was just a hopeful dream.

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I think that could have definitely worked.

[dragonflies]

They rewrote stuff to cater to PP. and IMO it's idiotic. The mags pretty much said the original ending Leo & Greenlee would have ended up together and I think Ryan & Gilian would have as well

[JaneAusten]

I don't disagree but I think after watching the past couple of weeks I am going to really hope they don't do something overly campy and dramatic. I realize you've been disappointed in LB's writing and I have been kind of at a loss at the Project Orpheus story, but in retrospect aside from that I think she's done a pretty decent job with the rest, the best she could have under the circumstances I think. I can't understand why they scrapped the original concept until I actually see the final product.